Serie A Preview: Como vs Milan – Team News, Line-ups & Prediction | OneFootball

Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia forms the backdrop for the first Serie A meeting between Como and Milan since May 2003. Tuesday’s all-Lombard encounter has all the makings of a ‘David vs Goliath’ clash, though the hosts take the field in a better mood.

Former Milan center-forward Patrick Cutrone netted a second-half equalizer to inspire Como to a commendable 1-1 draw at top-four hopefuls Lazio last weekend. A precious point in Rome kept the Lariani narrowly clear of the bottom three heading into this midweek round.

However, manager Cesc Fabregas knows better than to let Como’s 15th place in the Serie A standings tuck him into a false sense of security. Indeed, his charges boast a slender one-point lead on 18th-placed Cagliari ahead of the kick-off.

While Como probably wouldn’t mind sharing the spoils with their more esteemed visitors, Milan can ill afford another slip-up. The optimism following a remarkable Supercoppa Italiana triumph in Saudi Arabia earlier this month quickly evaporated upon their home return last weekend.

Relegation-threatened Cagliari held Milan to a stomach-wrenching 1-1 draw on Sergio Conceicao’s touchline debut in Serie A last Saturday. Despite taking a second-half lead through Alvaro Morata, Rossoneri’s wastefulness in the front third forced them to settle for a point.

As a result, they enter this round eight points adrift of fourth-placed Lazio, albeit with a game in hand. Therefore, anything other than a win against Como could be the scourge of their ambition to secure a coveted Champions League finish.

Match Preview

Como

It took Como a while, but they seem to have found their feet in Italy’s elite division. The home side’s rich vein of form has seen them lose just one of their last six league outings (W2, D3), including back-to-back 2-0 victories on home soil against Roma and Lecce.

Como’s newfound resilience at the Giuseppe Sinigaglia could make them believe they can halt a dreadful 12-game winless run against Milan (D5, L7). That unenviable record has no real value here, considering Como only faced the Rossoneri once at home in the 21st century.

It was all the way back in 2002. Yet, it didn’t end well for them, considering they lost 2-1.

Confidence could stem from Como’s unparalleled fighting spirit and overwhelming desire to uphold their top-flight status after securing a Serie A return after over two decades. For context, they’ve rescued points from losing positions in five out of 13 league matches when conceding first this season (W1, D4).

Milan

Heroic come-from-behind victories against eternal rivals Inter and Juventus in the Middle East could soon fade into oblivion unless Milan can rediscover their league form. With just two wins from their last eight Serie A matches (D5, L1), they’re among the worst-positioned top-half clubs in the form charts.

Furthermore, winning on the road has been Milan’s Achilles heel this season. Their indifferent away league record (W3, D2, L3) speaks volumes, and so does an equally-balanced goal difference (GF12, GA12). That perhaps best illustrates the size of the task on Conceicao’s hands.

Milan have been prone to producing nerve-shredding results on the road in 2024/25. Indeed, none of their eight away league games have featured a full-time margin of over 1.5 goals, highlighting the significance of drawing first blood.

Adding to this sentiment, Milan have only claimed one point from four Serie A away matches when conceding the opening goal (D1, L3).

Team News

Como suffered a massive injury blow against Lazio as rising star Nico Paz slumped to an ankle problem, joining Sergi Roberto and Maximo Perrone on the sidelines. On the bright side, Edoardo Goldaniga returns from suspension. That leaves Alberto Dossena as the only doubt.

As for Milan, Alessandro Florenzi and Samuel Chukwueze remain on the treatment table. There’s an outside chance for Ruben Loftus-Cheek to make the matchday squad. But Emerson Royal returns to the fold after serving a one-match ban against Cagliari.

Como vs Milan Potential Starting Line-ups

Como (4-2-3-1): Butez; Van der Brempt, Goldaniga, Kempf, Moreno; Mazzitelli, Engelhardt; Strefezza, Da Cunha, Fadera; Cutrone.

Milan (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Emerson, Tomori, Thiaw, Hernandez; Fofana, Bennacer; Pulisic, Reijnders, Leao; Morata.

Como vs Milan Prediction

Despite the gulf in class and Serie A experience, it’s hard to back Milan for three points with conviction as they’re still trying to find their feet in the post-Stefano Pioli era. A share of the spoils wouldn’t be surprising, though we expect the Rossoneri to find a way to victory.